5 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes

1. They don’t ask enough questions of their lender and end up missing out on the best 

deal. 

2. They don’t act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house. 

3. They don’t find the right agent who’s willing to help them through the home buying 

process. 

4. They don’t do enough to make their offer look appealing to a seller. 

5. They don’t think about resale before they buy. The average first-time buyer only stays 

in a home for four years. 

Sources for Key Coaching Points include but are not limited to the National 

REALTOR® Association, inman.com, Success Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, 

REEsults™ Coaching and various authors and industry professionals. 

Now that you have found your home what is next?  Here are the next steps to making your dream a reality.

·                     Make an Offer on the Home 

Now that you have found the right home, it's time to make an offer.  Your agent will do the research on the market in the neighborhood and help you determine what a competitive offer will be for the home.  Your agent will also educate you on terms of the contract such as asking seller to pay for closing costs and other contingencies with the contract. When making an offer, you should consider how much you will need to bring to the table (closing costs, home inspection etc.) Once you make an offer typically the seller will make a counter offer.  You may choose to make another counter offer or meet somewhere in the middle.  After both parties have come to an agreement on a final purchase price you'll need to make an earnest deposit.  This is deposited in the escrow account as a sign of good faith to the seller. 

·                     Home Inspections and Other Tests 

It is highly recommended to have a whole house inspection on the property.  The home inspection will reveal any unseen issues or problems with the home.  If there are any issues or problems that arise you can request the seller to make the necessary repairs to the home.  There maybe other tests you which to conduct on the home and your real estate agent can help you with those. 

·                     Closing on Your New Home! 

Now comes time to close on your new home.  Staying in contact with your lender will help the closing go smoothly.  The lender can help answer any questions regarding the financing of the loan and other mortgage questions.  On the day of closing you will need your driver's license and the funds to close, typically a cashiers check.  

Champions First-Time Home Buyers Guide: Steps to Finding Your First Home 

The first thing you should do is determine if buying a home is right for you.  It may or may not be the right decision for you and this decision is up to you based on your situation.  Owning a home comes with certain responsibilities and costs.  For example, home maintenance, lawn care, and repairs, etc.  Once you have determined that buying a home is right for you here are a few tips to get you on the right path to purchasing your new home. 

·                     Get Your Finances in Order

Check your Credit Report and Score.  You want to know exactly what your credit score is, as this will play an important role in the mortgage approval process and in determining the interest rate and other loan terms the lender will offer.  Here is a website you can use to check your credit Annualcreditreport.com.  Don't forget to check the report for any errors and if there are any dispute them.           

·                     Determine Your Purchasing Power

Set up a meeting with lender, they will be able to go over the many loan options and help you determine which is the best option for you.  You may wish to talk to a few different lenders to see which each of them have to offer and who you will work best with throughout the home buying process. 

·                     Determine Your Wants & Needs 

This is the fun part.  Create a wish list of what you would like in your new home and what you need in your new home.  The home buying process will go a lot smoother if you have your list narrowed down before you start looking at homes. 

·                     Team Up With a Champions Real Estate Agent 

Finding the right real estate agent for you will make the home buying process as smooth as possible.  In the state of Nebraska, there are both Buyer and Seller agents.  As a buyer's agent we are working for you throughout the home buying process.  Our goal as a Champions Real Estate Team member is to educate and coach you through the entire process so you can make the best decision for you. 

·                     Start Searching for Homes 

There are many ways to search for your home.  You may choose to begin your search on the internet, drive neighborhoods, or pick up homes for sale magazines.  Your agent is a great resource and wealth of information to search for homes for you.  They will have access to most current and accurate information on the housing market.   Once you have found a few homes that interest you your agent can set up a time to go view the home. 

Look for our second part of Champions Home Buyers Guide as we discuss the next steps after you have found your home.  We will walk you through the steps to successfully close on your new home.

Worlds Largest Ball of Stamps is here in Omaha at Boys Town!

Who would have known that The World's Largest Ball of Stamps is in Boys Town, NE it contains 4,655,000 postage stamps, is 32" in diameter, and weighs 600 pounds.  For more information on the ball of stamps check out Boys Towns website click here. 

Here's a great video we found featuring Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo's Stingray Beach.  It gives you an opportunity to have a close encounter with stingrays!  Just one of the many highlights at the Henry Doorly Zoo.   

Video from "The Wander Years" YouTube Channel

The young kids at Children's Hospital in Omaha got a huge surprise the other day! 

Run to Fight Colon Cancer

Sunday, August 10th, at Werner Park

Registration & Packet Pick up begin at 7:00 a.m. 

The Boxer 500 is a 5K run/walk, 1M walk and kid’s event to raise awareness and for colorectal cancer. Participants are encouraged to draw attention to their bottoms and colorectal cancer by participating in their boxer underwear. Form a team and wear matching boxers! The event is all-ages, so we do ask that you dress appropriately. Boxers are completely optional!

Participants are allowed to run for fun or for competition!  The 5K route is certified and is the Road Runners Club of America State 5K Championship for Nebraska.  Strollers are welcome on the route, but we ask that they line up behind the runners. Sorry no pets.

Click here for more event details & information. 

One of the first things to do when beginning the search for your home is to create a features wishlist.  Whether you're choosing an existing home or new construction this can be a valuable tool.  You may start the list on a simple piece of paper like the one below or use a website like Pinterest to create your new home wishlist.  Check out Mark Wehner's Pinterest Page for cool home ideas.  Once you have your list share it with your Realtor or builder so you can both work together to meet your wishlist.  Feel free to print off the wishlist below to begin creating your wishlist today. 

Walk to Cure Diabetes

Saturday, August 2nd, at Lewis & Clark Landing.

Registration & Festivities begin at 8:00 a.m.  Walk starts at 9:00 a.m.

     To Register: Click Here

The Walk to Cure Diabetes is a family-friendly Walk that attracted more than 3,500 people from the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area in 2013 and raised nearly $684,000 for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. It’s one of the largest fundraising Walks in Nebraska.  For more event information Click Here. 

Pay attention to detail when it comes to the bathrooms of your home.  Buyer's like to see things neat and clean when it comes to the bathroom.  The little things make a big difference.  

Here are a few key points to focus on in the bathroom:

• Fix leaky faucets or pipes.
• If needed change out the toilet seat.
• Clean the shower doors top to bottom.
• Replace shower curtain and/or liner.
• Eliminate clutter on the counters and in the shower/tube.
• Organize the towel closet, under the sink, and medicine cabinet. 
• Add color with some new plush towels and rug.
• Clean the exhaust fan (often missed).
• Re-caulk tub, showers and sinks.